Historic
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The Tent General Washington Slept in at Valley Forge a Symbol of His Wartime Leadership
George Washington’s war tent, created in Reading during the Valley Forge encampment in 1778, is an iconic part of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, writes Richard Grant for the Smithsonian Magazine. The tent was part of a replacement set for the general’s initial campaign tents, all of which had worn out. By…
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The Greatest Event Since the Birth of Christ? Ken Burns Says It Began in the Delaware Valley
When Ken Burns, the celebrated documentary filmmaker behind The Civil War and The Vietnam War, calls the American Revolution “the most important event in world history since the birth of Christ,” even seasoned historians blink. It’s a breathtaking claim, but look around the Delaware Valley, and suddenly it doesn’t feel far-fetched. From Philadelphia’s Independence Hall,…
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Untangling a Revolution: How Ken Burns and His Team Brought America’s Revolution to Life
Everyone thinks they know the story of the American Revolution including the midnight rides, the musket smoke, George Washington at Valley Forge. But filmmaker Ken Burns saw something deeper waiting beneath the marble myths. In his new documentary series The American Revolution, premiering this month on WHYY, Burns and longtime collaborators Sarah Botstein and David…
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Decade-Long Research Reveals Details Inside Historic Battle of Brandywine
A 12-year study has shed new light on the historic Battle of Brandywine, writes Mike Rellahan for The Daily Local News. The battle was a key Revolutionary War clash on Sept. 11, 1777, spanning approximately 35,000 acres in Chester County and the surrounding region. Led by the Chester County Planning Commission and Delaware County Planning…
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“Remember the Ladies”: 12 Philadelphia Women Who Shaped a Revolution
Everyone knows the story of Betsy Ross and the first American flag, sewn in a small upholstery shop on Arch Street in Old City Philadelphia. But Ross wasn’t the only woman whose work helped define the Revolutionary War and the American cause. Across Philadelphia, American women, including writers, fundraisers, spies, poets, and even soldiers, played…
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Across All 6 Episodes, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Take Center Stage in Ken Burns’ The American Revolution
The Revolution that changed the world was born right here in the Delaware Valley, in the muddy crossroads of Chester County, the meeting houses of Germantown, and the narrow streets of Philadelphia. This month, PBS premieres The American Revolution, a sweeping six-part, 12-hour documentary directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, and written…
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Revolutionary November: PBS Docuseries Brings The Revolution Home to Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley
Before the world called it the American Revolution, the fight for independence began right here, in the fields, taverns, meeting houses, and muddy crossroads of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. The ideas that lit the world on fire were born on our streets, debated in our pubs, and signed in our halls. This month, as…
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How Secret Meetings at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia Helped Secure America’s Independence
A secret meeting between Benjamin Franklin and French spy Julien-Alexandre Achard de Bonvouloir at Carpenters’ Hall in 1775 helped bolster America’s fight for independence, writes Michaela Althouse for PhillyVoice. At the time, American colonists wanting to break away from Great Britain were gathering resources and preparing to fight for freedom. A pressing question was whether…
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Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Honors Service and History with Trains & Troops Weekend and 1940s Swing Dance
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will once again celebrate American history, service, and song during its 25th annual Trains & Troops weekend, set for Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2. The event will take place at the Museum (300 Gap Road, PA Route 741, Strasburg, Lancaster County). This year’s milestone event honors U.S. military…
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Chadds Ford Plan to Auction Painter’s Folly Meets Some Resistance
Chadds Ford Township officials plan to auction off Painter’s Folly, once the studio and retreat for artist Andrew Wyeth, writes Kyle Bagenstose for Hidden City. The 170-year-old home at 1421 Baltimore Pike borders Delaware and Chester Counties at the site of the Battle of Brandywine. The three-story 16-room Italianate home was built in 1857 by…
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Divided Loyalties at Battle of Brandywine Frame Revolutionary War as Civil War
The Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford, where colonists fought on opposing sides, shows that the Revolutionary War was, in many ways, a civil war, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY. The 1777 battle was the largest and longest land battle of the Revolutionary War, and marked a major defeat for Gen. George Washington, which made…
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How Phoenixville Transformed from an Industrial Hotspot to One of Chester County’s Most Beloved Boroughs
Phoenixville’s intriguing history has included everything from industrial factories to an iconic 1950s film, writes Gene Pisasale for Times-Leader. In the centuries since its founding, the borough has transformed from an industrial hub to a charming town that attracts tourists and locals alike. First settled in 1732, Phoenixville was originally named “Manavon.” Businesses flourished during…
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Chadds Ford Township Debates Future of Former Wyeth Art Studio
The historic Chadds Ford home dubbed “Painter’s Folly,” formerly a Wyeth art studio, faces an unclear future, writes Pete Bannan for The Daily Local News. Chadds Ford Township currently owns the centuries-old structure. Leadership is weighing options moving forward, which might include selling the property. Painter’s Folly was built in the mid-nineteenth century by Samuel…
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Former WCU Quarterback, Co-Pilot of United Flight 175 Left an Indelible Mark on the World
Twenty-three years after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, friends and family remember countless heroes who lost their lives on the tragic day, writes Megan Magensky for CBS 21. Among them was Michael Horrocks, a quarterback who captained the West Chester University football team in the early 1980s. Horrocks was the co-pilot of United Flight 175,…
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Paranormal Investigators to Check Out Haunted Marcus Hook Plank House
The one-bedroom Plank House in Marcus Hook is one of the oldest operating houses in Delaware County, and is said to be the home of the pirate Blackbeard. “It dates back to the 1700s,” said Joshua Chjaires, founder of Phantom Detectives LLC. “At that time, Marcus Hook was a well-known shipping port. It has a…
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Group of Locals Work to Give Wayne’s Anthony Wayne Theater A New Life
A group of locals have been working to give the shuttered Anthony Wayne Theater new life as an elevated dining and entertainment destination, writes Gina Lizzo for the Main Line Today. At the moment, the semi-gutted interior of the Wayne Theater presents an eerie sight. The inspiring effort to bring the Wayne space back to…
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After Decades of Closure, Lansdowne Theater Set to Open Its Doors Again as a Concert Hall
A century-old Lansdowne Theater is set to open its doors on August 22 after nearly four decades of closure, with the presentation of Chazz Palminteri: A Bronx Tale, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY. The movie theater was forced to close in 1987 after a devastating fire and has stayed unused since then. Ownership of the…
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Coatesville Ceremony Finally Honors Zachariah Walker After Brutal Lynching in 1911
Coatesville resident Zachariah Walker was finally recognized with a dignified burial after his brutal death over one hundred years ago, reports staff for 6abc. Walker, a Black man, was killed by a white mob after a self-defense shootout with a white police officer. Walker was injured during the shootout, and mob members later kidnapped him…
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